Guided by the sense of unity “One Body One Church”, the recent collaborative work has been taking the STM Movement to a new level. It can be visualized in three forms. A Radiating Dot Mission is no longer a one-way communication from sender to receiver. Now the host sends out teams as well. A missionary from Bangladesh took her team to join this year STM. After being an 18-year host in the field, she said, “It’s enough. Lots of blessings received. It’s time to go and join the Movement.” Her team was divided into 6, going to different places such as Macau, Mindanao, Baguette, Cambodia, Southern Thailand and Light City. By STM, a mission field can bless other mission fields as well. A focal point is turning to scatter with love.
A Linear Development
A regular STM trip lays a foundation for the missional heritage to grow. Evangelize China Fellowship (ECF) in Hong Kong has a long history of missions. Aiming at discipleship for proactive participation and fostering missional fire from generation to generation, ECF set up its own Ministry Training Centre (MTC). This year 8 of its MTC students joined STM to Southern Thailand before graduation. Their companion, Rev. Siu Wai Chu, the General Secretary of ECF walked with them side by side on the ground, giving proper support and encouragement in need. She caught the students’ life-changing moments in return. Besides, Rev. Leo Kwan from ECF Tsim Sha Tsui Canaan Church witnessed the MTC graduates joining STM year by year. He was pleased to note that “a continuity of missions has popped up by regular STM trip, disciple training, congregational collaboration within ECF and CCMN.” This line of mission runs through churches while making parallel development side by side.
A Diversified and Interactive Platform At an overseas post-STM debriefing session, members from various teams sat around. Valentine from Iban tribe of Kuching was greeted by the Brazilian city girl Abi who was just back from Kuching. Abi described Pastor Rose, father of Valentine, as kind as “her own father” who took the team comprising Sri Lankans, Hong Kongers and Brazilians to explore in the tribal villages while Valentine kicked off his comfort zone to impoverished Bangladesh. By chance, the Philippines Team paid a visit to the house of Romick and Remie, meeting their mother in Mindanao. The two siblings joined Macau team and were received by a local missionary whose nephew was their Bangladeshi interpreter in the team. One by one they told their stories in the mission fields which related to the audience from the same places. The group freely made comments and explanations on one another. Some remarks made everyone laugh while some words resonated deep in people’s hearts. It generated a picture of a global family, visiting one another while getting close and connected regardless of nationalities, races and denominations for this worldwide network.